Or so the many supporters of Colin Kaepernick would have you believe.
Yesterday, the news that GQ Magazine named Kaepernick their “Citizen of the Year” hit social media, and needless to say, much of America let out a collective “WTF?”
When I heard the news and saw the cover, I shared my disgust on both my FB page and on Twitter. Twitter being what it is, I got a few replies that were not in agreement with my opinion. That is to be expected, as not everyone has the same opinions as I do, but one of those responses lead to a “conversation” that is the epitome of what is ailing the United States currently.
This was my initial Tweet:
So, suck at your job, spread racist bullshit and hate cops. That is what it takes to be GQ’s “citizen of the year” https://t.co/en6Vt8OtBS
What follows is the “conversation” that leaves me with serious questions about our future:
Shut your racist candy ass TF up! Fuck the police and fuck you. You’re really that mad at someone calling you pig bitches out?!? #Bigot ?? — @lioness_ofjudah (@Lioness_OfJudah) November 13, 2017
My response to that, which included retweeting it:
Irony, being called a bigot at the end of a completely racist, bigoted rant… SMFH https://t.co/4BkNUpsPsA
Such a bigot I am! Wanting to breathe without some racist pig ass officer bitching about my tail light, yet being in fear of his life! ??✊? — @lioness_ofjudah (@Lioness_OfJudah) November 13, 2017
But lest we not forget, since I am calling Kaepernick out for his bullshit, that apparently means I am racist and want all blacks to die…
Hmmm a cop spreading lie because he doesn’t want blacks to have the right to live… wasn’t too hard sweetie!
Apparently, according to this delightful individual, who is “Just a sexy, sophisticated, educated, charming, complicated kinda woman,” I said the Black Panther Party was racist.
You just bashed the black panther party as racist!?!? Talk about unfounded… your lack of knowledge and hypocrisy SHINES you scholar you! — @lioness_ofjudah (@Lioness_OfJudah) November 14, 2017
While I never said anything of the sort, that is indeed factually correct, so I thought I would point that out to her.
Please point to where I said the black panther party (never even said party) was racist. I can wait.
In response, she dumbfoundingly calls the Southern Poverty Law Center “a racist bigot” because they have identified the New Black Panther Party as a racist hate group.
Pls point to where u didn’t imply it. Like u did with this trash ass propaganda article by an equally as racist bigot. Keep adding fuel ⛽️ — @lioness_ofjudah (@Lioness_OfJudah) November 14, 2017
It was at this point that I realized that this person is definitely not firing on all cylinders. While I am no fan of the Southern Poverty Law Center, because they lean very far to the left and falsely identify a great number of conservative groups as hate groups, they most definitely are not a “racist bigot,” and the fact that this self-proclaimed “educated” person doesn’t know that, their supposed education is now being called into question. At this point, I attempted to bow out, albeit not gracefully.
You really are an idiot aren’t you. You are calling the super ultra liberal Southern Poverty Law Center, a group that identifies hate groups and is used as a source by just about every media outlet, “a racist bigot”???
But wait, how did I miss that? Did she just demand I show her where I did NOT do something???? Let me reread that. Yep, that is exactly what she said.
You literally just said “Please show me where you did not do something” AYFKM? You realize no one can show you where they did not do something, since they didn’t do it, right? Carry on idiot. Through talking to you. https://t.co/BSE5rc46D8 — Deputy Matt (@BangSwitchMatt) November 14, 2017
And at that point, it devolved into just insults and name calling, but my favorite is when she said she hopes I get killed in the line of duty. She has since deleted that tweet, but not to worry as I screen grabbed it.
Funny, all this from the person whose first tweet to me was:
“Shut your racist candy ass TF up! Fuck the police and fuck you. You’re really that mad at someone calling you pig bitches out?!? #Bigot”
So, thinking I was done with her, I carried on with life, only to check in on Twitter later in the night to find that now only is she a cop hating racist bigot, but apparently she is homophobic as well. Apparently, realizing she again screwed up, she has since deleted that Tweet too, but again, not a problem as I also saved it.
Then, when I point that out, she tried to put that on me, while simultaneously continuing her cop hating tirade.
Leave the gays outta this piggy! You’re a white racist who HATES anything forward moving for blacks PERIOD! So shut up with th backpedaling — @lioness_ofjudah (@Lioness_OfJudah) November 14, 2017
It was at this point that I completely gave up, and since she was not going to let it go, I blocked her.
But, life is sometimes like a train wreck, and it begs you to look at the disaster, and so I did. I checked her Twitter feed this morning to see what other nuggets of wisdom she may have let fly during the night, aaaaaaaaand I was not disappointed.
This is the dimwit who called me a racist pig & actually said she hopes I am killed at work.
But hey, remember folks, the cops are the problem here in the United States. It has nothing to do with the cop hating racists that continue to propagate the lies pushed by Black Lives Matter…
In all seriousness, how are we supposed to combat the blatant lies tearing this country apart when people like this actively dismiss information provided to them, and do nothing but project their racism onto others?
This is not just about the “Lioness of Judah” and other racist blacks, because there are plenty of backwards ass, idiotic racist whites too. I’m at a loss for how to effectively deal with them.
On February 25, 2017, three police officers from the small city of Rocklin, CA shot and killed a man in an absolutely justified shooting. The district attorney just officially confirmed the same when they announced that no charges will be filed on the officers because the shooting was justified. And that is where the story should end.
BUT the anti-cop media and Black Lies Matter will not let it go as they seem to be contending that the cops shot Lorenzo Cruz for no reason, and then are covering it up. After all, look at the poor young man in the tuxedo, he would not do anything wrong… (seriously, I searched via google and the ONLY pictures I can find of Lorenzo Cruz are this one, in the tux)
The Placer County District’s Attorney’s office announced their decision not to pursue any charges against the officers Thursday.
However, the matter is far from resolved, according to activists who showed up at the Rocklin Police Department with a list of demands.”
Those are the first three lines from that story about the outcome of the shooting. To those who have been following this shooting, this was the expected outcome because it was a textbook case of a justified shooting. However, to the media and their favorite trouble makers, Black Lives Matter (henceforth referred to as Black Lies Matter), it is far from over.
”‘He’s a compassionate person, he’s never stolen anything, never been in trouble with the law, it doesn’t make since that he’d go from not doing anything wrong to breaking into someone’s house at 10 in the morning,’ said Faison.”
Let’s just take a quick look at that pile of horse shit being shoveled by Faison, the Black Lies Matter representative. I will refute her statement with information that has long been available to the public, via the media, and none of it has been denied.
“Police first encountered Cruz when they attempted to stop his vehicle for expired registration, according to the District Attorney’s letter. Cruz drove off at high speed. (Expired Registration – I, Evading Police – M/F) Officers determined a pursuit would cause too much risk to motorists and other people in the area, but they obtained a description of the vehicle and the license plate number.”–Sacramento Bee
Having personal knowledge of Rocklin PD’s pursuit policy, it would have been a clear violation of their policy to pursue Cruz in this situation. That said, it can very well be argued that had they pursued him and apprehended him, NONE of the things that occurred later in the day, culminating in Cruz being shot, may not have ever occurred. I would argue that the very restrictive pursuit policies, like Rocklin’s, those very policies that are pushed by liberal, anti-cop politicians, are the very reason more people are victims of crime, like the people who were victimized by Cruz later that day.
Continuing on with Cruz’s crime spree that day…
“Police later received a 911 call from a resident reporting that the same man was behaving in a bizarre manner and had rammed his vehicle into a gate in a residential neighborhood. (Felony Vandalism – F, Hit & Run crash – M) Witnesses reported that they were confronted by the man, and described him as angry and aggressive.
One witness reported that Cruz first attempted to enter his home through a sliding glass door, then broke a glass laundry room door and entered the home. Cruz reportedly retreated when the homeowner confronted him with a weapon. (Burglary – F)
Cruz then got into a neighbor’s vehicle and attempted to flee (Attempted Vehicle Theft – F), but was confronted by the three Rocklin police officers.”
Thus far, at a minimum we have documented one infraction, two misdemeanors (one which could possibly have been a felony), and three felonies. But yeah, I can see how if I was a Black Lies Matter person, that could totally be seen as “not doing anything wrong.” But hey, we aren’t done yet.
“When officers located Cruz and ordered him to surrender, he failed to comply and officers saw he had what appeared to be a firearm. Cruz was shot when he pointed the weapon at one of the officers. (Brandishing a Weapon – M)
Police later determined that the gun was a replica firearm that had been painted silver to look like a real gun, according to police.”
So, we can add two more crimes, a misdemeanor for brandishing a weapon and one which resulted in his being shot, felony stupid (the act of doing something so stupid it gets you killed – not a real crime).
Now that the DA has made their announcement, Black Lies Matter stepped in and presented a list of utterly moronic demands. Personally, I am sick and tired of these juvenile, petulant idiots who completely ignore the culpability a person has in their own demise in order to put ALL the fault on the cops.
“Thursday, Black Lives Matter presented a list of demands to the Rocklin Police Department including: release of the police report and all video of the incident, charges brought against the officers involved, a community investigation, monetary compensation for Cruz’s family, and an apology from city officials.”
The proper response to those requests is “pound sand,” but in the politically correct world in which we live, where elected officials more often than not bend to the will of those who scream the loudest, I suspect we will see some capitulation.
Look, I feel for the family and friends of Cruz. Sometimes we really don’t know the people we think we know. I’ve been in those shoes. A man I spent months working with, in the same car, a man I’d known 20 years, a man I called a friend, was arrested on very serious charges. I get being upset, I get being blindsided. I get being confused and angry. I really do.
BUT, don’t blame the cops; blame the person who did the acts, blame the person who deceived you.
In the case of Cruz, friends, family and Black Lies Matter would have you believe that not only are the rotten, evil police lying to cover up their shooting of “another innocent POC” (person of color), but the cops also successfully convinced numerous private citizens to aid them by manufacturing all the incidents that lead up to Cruz’s shooting. Oh yeah, the cops also apparently mastered time travel and successfully went back in time to create the original failed contact / pursuit in an attempt to bolster their story.
Seriously, what version of this makes more sense? That friends and family of Cruz either did not know about his criminal behavior, or that they are ignoring it OR that the cops shot Cruz and are covering it up?
It is long past time for the public to start demanding honesty from our “news” sources. They have all turned into tabloids, running whatever story will get the most traffic. They push known lies for the sake of the story and they give a voice to people who are blatantly lying because doing so makes them money. None of that is acceptable.
While the Dallas Terrorist attack was being televised live my eight year old daughter became horrified and asked her mother over and over if Daddy was there. My wife tried to explain afterwards about racism, what it meant and why those Officers were being shot at. It was a very difficult discussion and we spoke about it at length everyday. After the President gave his speech at the Dallas Memorial my daughter was left with even more confusion. She wanted to know why the President didn’t like the Police. These are not words I prompted her with but even she saw through the false empathy. My wife suggested she write a letter to the president explaining how she felt.
My daughter edited her letter multiple times and the original told the President that: “He should dislike the bad guys more, the bad guys who do drugs and hurt children.” I thought this was profound but she wanted to erase it because she felt they were truly not her own words but inspired by her parents. She eventually changed the ending of the letter to simply state “Police are good!” This is meaningful not just for me, but for all Law Enforcement out there, our children will listen to what we are teaching them so let us try and teach them the truth whenever possible. If we let the state raise our children the result is chaos.
Obviously I am biased here because I speak of my own child but I could not be more proud. After asking all of the appropriate questions over the last week and coming to her own conclusions she hit the nail on the head with deadly accuracy. Of course the president doesn’t have a great reputation in my household and I won’t ignore the fact that her words are ultimately inspired by my own lessons but isn’t that the point? Aren’t we supposed to foster critical thought in our young?
As a cop I’ve been taught to write at the fourth grade level which is extremely difficult for me yet this is third grade writing in its purest form. It speaks plainly to the message she wants to portray “my Daddy is good” and she is insulted by our leader believing anything otherwise. She feels strongly enough about it to mail this letter to the President and is hopeful for a response. The very idea that I or any of my partners would treat someone differently because of the color of their skin does not fit into her logic. She simply doesn’t believe this is true because she has not seen or heard of it. This is the danger of promoting false narratives.
Perhaps we could all learn from the third grade vantage point and learn to observe what is directly in front of us instead of focusing on the imaginary. We as a people can learn many lessons by simplifying the facts and acting on our own logic, deciding what the “truth” is by seeing this for ourselves. If I were a bigot and a racist she would know about it because it is not something you can hide from your own children. The obvious truth in her mind is vastly different from how the President views the world. What experiences has he had which causes him to believe in a universal falsehood that gives rise to racism in cops where it seldom exists?
Our politicians need to leave their safe, upper class neighborhoods and mansions and view the world for what it truly is. I encourage President Obama to do a ride along with any lawman in any state and think about the things he witnesses. Any of you who are in doubt should also do this, perhaps some of your questions would be answered and the world would reveal itself for how it truly exists in this realm, not the illusory world politicians speak of. Learn from the simple logic of a fourth grader and stop confusing the simple truth of the world. Racism is indeed real but where is it most prominent? Experience this issues from a wider vantage point if you can. Contact your local law enforcement agency and ask them about a ride along, you will be enlightened.
Social media is an interesting armchair style warrior. Lots of opinions and sometimes zero experience or knowledge on a subject. The problem is we Cops don’t always know what someone else might have experienced or what their personal Law Enforcement story is. One reader today regarded this page as a “circle jerk LEO” page which made me remember something. Cops aren’t just Cops anymore we are Diplomats and Ambassadors to society. There is a certain responsibilitiy which goes along with the ideal and is inclusive in the duties of a Law Enforcement Officer.
People who are not cops and have never been cops might never fully understand every facet of our calling. Why become angry with those who are under a differing opinion? Obviously it’s ridiculous to think that Law Enforcement Officers are all racially motivated or on the flip side of the coin that we are all “the right hand of the democratic party’s agenda.” Ignorance can be bliss but I would rather enlighten than insult. All may not be enlightened I realize yet in some occasions it is well worth the extra effort which may benefit the Police Reputation.
I teach my children to ask questions and not simply obey commands given to them by someone claiming to be a leader. I also teach my children to be respectful in the asking of those questions and most importantly to listen to the answer and make their own determination. When people put forth ridiculous ideas regarding cops we should seek to answer those accusations with logic and truth. We can also do it diplomatically if the misguided person isn’t too hostile. We may not reach all using this method but less will also be turned away.
When working the streets I usually allowed the public to ask any question they wanted, so long as it was safe at the time for me to do so. In one particular incident I had made a felony arrest on a subject with a warrant. Several people came out of the buildings nearby and began yelling at me. I feared they would surround me so while I was mentally prepared to kill all of them if needed, I also politely told them to give me a minute and promised to answer their questions.
I put the bad guy in the back seat of my car and secured him safely while asking for a cover unit. The potential mob was still angry but at a safe distance. Once my cover partner arrived I had him keep an eye on my prisoner and I approached the group with a smile. I asked what questions they had and It turned out these people were relatives of the man in my car, or so they claimed to be. It really didn’t matter, at this point I felt a small obligation to attempt an explanation as to why in their eyes “the government was taking away their friend for no reason.”
It was calmly explained I had a warrant for his arrest, explained the booking process and provided information on how they could contact the jail to schedule a visit with the subject. I was then asked about the court process, this time they were much less angry in asking the question. I explained the court process and the likelihood the subject would be in jail until his first hearing which would probably occur on the following Tuesday. I was thanked profusely by most of the group and they returned to their homes. One guy even tried to give me a hug and stated: “now that’s respect.”
Later in the day I had a discussion with my partner who told me it was pointless for me to address the small group. I explained I had only done this when it was safe to do so yet he believed I was wasting my time. It was difficult for me at the time to articulate my reasons for doing so but in short I told him this particular neighborhood might be more cooperative with Law Enforcement in the future if we treated them with a little more respect. I tell this story because I believe it is not a waste of time to explain circumstances which the public may not fully understand. Hell, the whole point of writing here is to hopefully enlighten and educate not just to complain. Otherwise our words only serve to rally those who are supportive and turn away those who may be on the fence.
I started a text conversation with one of my favorite and most trusted beat partners regarding this subject and he summed it up quickly and accurately while heading out the door. In a short text message which took him less than a minute to write he hit the nail on the head and went on to prove my point here. Examine the following text message:
“I think we have a responsibility to speak rationally and logically when we speak for the side of law enforcement. It becomes obvious that we are cops in these discussions, so why portray ourselves as irrational asshats. We both know that law enforcement officers in general are not out there hunting minorities and just trying to f with people, but there are people out there who legitimately think otherwise. We have legitimate arguments which carry serious weight. I think we do us and the real issues a huge disservice when we just yell and down talk people. I think some people start seeing the validity of our points when we calmly explain them.”
I read through the news today after a recent terrorist attack upon Police Officers in Dallas. Men and women serving their country and communities were attacked because of the clothes they wore and the color of their skin. Alternatively it is reported almost everywhere these attacks were in response to “two innocent black men being gunned down by police” yet the facts are not yet fully known. To respond violently based upon initial emotion is to discredit the American process and disregards civility entirely.
When historians look back upon the last several years what will our defining moments be? I often consider this point of view because as a student of history I realize the human condition is cyclical. Consider our greatest accomplishments and triumphs where Americans had a common goal, pulled together and achieved wondrous results. These American achievements need not be stated they are so powerful.
I use the Rosetta Stone as my example of ancient human achievement. The rock was found in 1799 by French soldiers and now resides in the British Museum. Written upon the enormous rock is a series of accomplishments and instructions for Egyptian priests. It is written in two languages and three scripts. It is amazing to me how multiple cultures collided in an era of little technology to create something this long lasting. (You can read more about this fascinating topic at: http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html)
What do the words of the Rosetta stone say? What do they mean? We live in a culture now where it doesn’t matter. Facts are considered boring while violent emotions are considered exciting and relevant. Idols fuel emotionalism as a movement and as role models to America’s youth. A popular musician of our time, Jay Z has released a new song which he addresses the problem. Here is an example of one lyric: “Got my hands in the air in despair/don’t shoot/I just wanna do good.”
Perhaps the music is moving, maybe the lyrics are meaningful but they are not responsible. The words themselves are perpetuated by lies and drive further emotion instead of logic. That emotion is endorsed by powerful leaders of the state and the message becomes misconstrued. Violence is the result and ignorance is the tool.
Music, Television and Movies are not seen as entertainment in our time, they are words and actions to live by. Fantasy is our hero and I still wonder what America’s common goal is. We are divided on all things in regards to morality and justice and I cannot fathom what stamp of human achievement our generation has left upon history. If our Rosetta Stone is chaos, lawlessness and anarchy I wish to distance myself from it as far as possible.
I have children though, so I cannot wallow in despair and would like to leave them something to cling to. We spend so much time trying to convince the emotionally misguided that our own children often become neglected from the truth. More and more I disconnect myself from popular media, social media and even news networks. I teach my children how to think for themselves and encourage them to try and leave the world a better place when they leave it. More than anything I tell them to suppress emotion and use logic to respond. This is how we build a lasting monument to our prosperity as a nation. A nation not divided but as one people and as unified Americans.
A monument to our civilization needs not be represented by division and destruction. Through our common children we must build something greater than we have now. Utilizing morality and logic we must build a culture which welcomes all as Americans and respects the tenements of our rich history. A foundation which shrugs off its mistakes and moves swiftly and accurately to correct them. A foundation which withstands the decaying sands of time and utilizes a profound goal as opposed to destruction with no purpose.
Last night very crappy night for law enforcement and for gun owners, because I guarantee gun grabbers will try to use this incident to push gun control.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Tuesday morning July 5, Alton Sterling was shot and killed by two white cops in Louisiana early.
Let’s take a quick look at what we know about that shooting, which happened to be captured in 2 separate cell phone videos. Sterling was a 37 year old black man who was currently on probation. He was a convicted sex offender (sex with a minor). Had priors for domestic battery, unauthorized entry, aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, and for failing to register as a sex offender. He had served 5 years in prison for possession of drugs and an illegal gun.
At the time of the incident, he was selling CDs in front of a convenience store where he got into an altercation with someone, during which he pulled out a gun prompting someone to call the cops.
He was physically described by the caller to the cops.
The cops got there and contacted Sterling because he matched the description. Sterling refused to comply, got tased twice, then tackled.
During the physical struggle with the two officers, one officer discovered the gun in Sterling’s pocket and announced “he’s got a gun!”
The other officer drew his gun and pointed it at sterling and said “hey bro, you fucking move and I swear to God!”
Sterling continued to fight, and in one of the two videos he can be seen reaching toward his right hip despite the officer attempting to control his hand.
The officer fires, shooting him several times, in the chest, not the head as many have claimed. Immediately after the shooting, in one of the 2 videos, one of the cops can be seen removing a gun from Sterling’s right front pants pocket.
So, let’s get this straight, this is the asshole, an idiot who played a huge roll in his own demise, that Black Lives Matter has decided to defend and protest for.
Black Lives Matter social media accounts blew up again. They began screaming about the racist cops murdering another young black man. All the normal BS.
At 11:10 am on July 6th, this image was posted on Facebook.
I first saw it 5 hours after it had been posted. I reported it and I shared it on my FB page asking folks to help get it removed.
It has been reported thousands of times over the last several days, yet Facebook refuses to remove it saying it does not violate the community standards against promoting violence.
Are you freaking kidding me??? How does that image, an image depicting one person
standing behind another, and cutting that person’s throat with a knife, how does that possibly NOT violate those standards?
Then last night, July 7, Dallas police were working a Black Lives Matter protest, because as we all know, nothing could possibly go wrong at a Black Lives Matter protest.
This was a protest for Alton Sterling.
Four gunmen, completely unprovoked, opened fire on the cops. In total, 10 cops were shot, and at this time, 5 of them have died.
Yet, despite all the bullshit rhetoric spewed by all the racist, cop haters from the lowliest Black Lives Matter moron all the way up to Barack Obama, those horrible evil cops, who just had 5 of their brothers murdered, they took the 3 of the 4 suspects into custody, alive, resisting every urge that I know they had, to end those worthless sacks of crap where they stood. The fourth died in a shootout with the cops.
I really am at a loss for words to describe how I feel right now.
First, Black Lives Matter is a terrorist group. They meet every single criteria for it as laid out by the FBI. The following is the FBI’s definition of terrorism:
“The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”
It is about damned time they officially be labeled as a terrorist organization.
Secondly, Facebook needs to be held culpable in the deaths of those officers. Their complete refusal to remove images and posts calling for the murder of police allowed the people who committed this act to spread their agenda. Facebook is helping terrorists spread their agenda. They need to be held accountable.
Lastly, President Obama bears some guilt in this whole situation as well. He has fanned the flames of cop hate and racism since he took office. Hell, a few months ago, he had invited members of Black Lives Matter to the white house where he praised them. Just yesterday, he was publicly commenting about the Alton Sterling shooting. How long until we hear him make a statement denouncing Black Lives Matter? How long until we hear him name these officers who were murdered in cold blood by a group of racist black men? I’m sure as hell not holding my breath. That is a long wait for a train that history tells me aint coming.
** Language Warning – explicative filled rant to follow **
The comments below are based on the following news story video regarding an officer involved shooting that happened December 12, 2015 involving the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
FFS, I am getting so sick of all this bullshit! Take your hurt feelings and your uneducated opinions and shove them up your ass!
An armed man was firing his weapon which lead to the cops being called. Cops get there and confront said armed man, who some witnesses say fired at the cops at some point. Cops shoot armed man after he continues walking toward crowded gas station with his handgun, while ignoring all commands by the cops. Armed man gets hit, goes to ground, but continues moving toward gas station, so cops shoot him until he stops.
The people in this news video are screaming injustice and all kinds of other bullshit. But holy fuck, can you imagine what they would be yelling if the cops had let that armed man walk into that gas station and start shooting people? Is there some set number of times we are allowed to shoot an armed subject?
The cops shot an armed fucking criminal who was just firing his weapon! What the fuck are you complaining about you ignorant morons!?!?!
The solution is really fucking simple, don’t commit crime and you don’t have to worry about being intentionally shot by the cops. If you choose to ignore that piece of advice, then when the cops do show up, drop any weapon you may have and do what you are told. If you fail to follow that advice, you best expect to get your ass shot!
Look, unless you are 1) willing to don the uniform and show us how to do this, or 2) have actual experience doing the job, your uneducated, inexperienced opinion equates to exactly shit. Put up or shut up! -Matt
The comments above are what I originally posted on Facebook, but I would like to add a giant “fuck you!” to the news station themselves. Take a look at the differences in the images they used in their news story. The cops are standing there both pointing their guns, but the suspect is posing with a very young little girl (hint, he was a nice guy and was kind to children and the cops are armed murderers). Was it possible for them to use a screen capture from the very same video that shows the dead criminal holding his gun? Of course it was, but they did not do that.
Fuck You KTLA 5! Race baiting, cop hatred stirring media mother fuckers!
Until the media stops fanning the flames of cop hate and racial discrimination, we are screwed!
-Matt
Last week a professor at Yale University (another college I would never send my children to) was shouted down by a student who felt this professor had not done enough to create a safe and comfortable environment for her. Besides her profane tirade, she spoke to this man, this professor, and her elder in such a disrespectful tone I had to wonder first, where did she learn to treat others this way and second, who, in the real world, would want to work with her or better yet, have her as an employee? Then I started to wonder…what is the real world anymore?
I have had jobs I’ve loved and jobs I’ve hated. I have had bosses I’ve respected and genuinely cared about and who I knew cared about me, and I’ve had quite the opposite. In every case, except one, I never quit a job without having another and I never treated a supervisor with such blatant disrespect without being called on it…and deserving the reprimand that followed. For those who have known me for a long time, you know I have been known to speak before I think and while the words may have been truth, they were also unnecessarily acidic and sometimes hurtful. Luckily I have had mentors who have pointed out these flaws, sometimes gently, sometimes not so gently and sometimes I listened and other times it was years later the lesson sunk in. My point being, at the core of who I am was an individual who recognized I just may not have all the answers even though it may have felt like I did (as all 20 years olds do). I may not have admitted it, but I quietly acknowledged I may not be all that superior after all. The core of who I am developed over time, by family, friends, teachers, co-workers, mentors, our culture, church, and my children (those creatures who sprang from my womb knowing more than I did…about everything). Entwined in all of these is culture, the world we live in, the society our founders created and we have amended to adjust for progress (end of slavery, women’s right to vote, due process, etc). At our foundation, we are a society that believes in self-reliance and self-direction and a people not born into a caste system, but of individuals who can achieve anything we desire if we work hard, don’t give up, and endure the failures along the way. This is the world I grew up in and over time I recognized it wasn’t perfect and some people were given a leg up where others were not, and no, life is not fair. However, even in its imperfection, I would take this system over any other because there is freedom in the process, I am always free to keep trying or give up. In other words, I am not pre-destined to work in a factory for my entire life. The problem is, this world is not the world everyone wants in this country anymore.
Occupy Wall Street used the greed and the debauchery of Wall Street to solicit support from generally concerned citizens of this country who truly want to see a change in our banking system. I’m not sure I disagree with the premise, our banks need regulation. We all felt the effects of their avidity in 2008 and 2009. The problem is, Occupy was never really all about big banks. They were about blowing up our way of life. They were about eliminating those things we count as success, such as an education, a first job (not for a livable wage, but for the opportunity to work and learn), a first job out of college that barely pays for our rent and our bar tab, and finally, the idea that if we work hard and endure failure we might succeed. Occupy was about taking away the work, the angst, of our 20’s so we could “enjoy” immediate gratification. Our loans forgiven, an income (probably go fund me or Soros money) so we could take out our anger on the “man” who made the rules in the first place (you know…the rule where you can’t learn everything in college, but you actually have to live in the world, get knocked down once in a while in order to truly figure it and yourself all out). Oh and let’s not forget about marijuana whenever we want, because you know it’s just like a glass of wine. All of this of course leads to disaster. Occupy failed, because in time the world saw what their real message was, in the form of rape and defecation on police cars…even my liberal friend wouldn’t go for that one.
Occupy part II is the Black Lives Matter movement. However, since these are generally the same people, they have learned from their mistakes, mostly allowing the media to actually see them for what they are. BLM dictates how and when they are documented. You will rarely catch interviews of the actual participants, but instead specially groomed academics that laugh off their real intent and coyly answer questions about their focus on communities and police relations. If you actually read many of their “requests” they are truly ridiculous, such as un-arming some patrol officers, “soft uniforms”, and of course not entering certain areas called “safe zones”. Full disclaimer, there have been some incidents involving cops that have not been pretty. Use of force is never pretty. But like the twit at Yale, the disrespect for police officers is just as great and more deadly as their foes don’t just shrilly chide officers, but will fight, stab, and shoot at them. The important thing to remember is, BLM, Occupy, and the twits in these colleges are really not interested in changing the system, or improving the system, they want to destroy the system. This segment of our society,(remember BLM is not about African Americans as many Blacks in this country DO NOT identify with them) wants to destroy the system, because they either can’t or don’t want to succeed in it…and they don’t want you or your kids succeeding in it either. They want to obliterate what we have because it is the only circumstance in which they can obtain power. Yes, this is about power…it always is. For the Bernie fans out there, even in some utopia socialist society do you really believe there aren’t those in POWER in order to distribute the resources? For the Hillary fans out there, do you think there is any paradigm in her presidency where she and her ilk aren’t in power of EVERYTHING?
Today, Tim Wolfe, the president of the University of Missouri (another school I would never send my kid to) resigned due to not addressing alleged racism within the college. The problem is, none of the allegations were ever proven and in fact were anecdotal. While I have no doubt racism exists and needs to be dealt with as it emerges, I have serious doubts about whether or not there was a systemic problem at this university. Instead, it is probably more likely these adolescents found an opportunity to be powerful and they seized it…like a 3 year old in a grocery store that knows you need basic necessities and will exploit your need for their gain. I don’t believe they have any interest in working within this system, they don’t like it, and so no one will enjoy it. We have allowed to proliferate a group that has no interest in the exchange of ideas, in fact, no interest in any idea they didn’t cultivate or was fed to them. This is what we allow on our college campuses, no original thought, and the bullying of those who think differently, and policy which has been dictated, not by facts, but by innuendo and anecdotal evidence. I would make a Hitler reference, but it really should be obvious…Jews were at the heart of all of Germany’s problems (no basis in fact) and now it’s the American way of life as we have known it. Is this freedom? Does this make US better? Of course not, but that’s not what anyone is interested in now is it? Just keep in mind those protestors today in Missouri did two things. First, they wrapped themselves in chains on stage, no one did it to them and second, they allowed no press, instead creating a “safe space” between the protestors and the media, why is your cause afraid of the light? Only evil lurks in dark corners.
We should stop looking at these so called movements as a means to work within our society and recognize them for what they are which is a desire to destroy what we have for the creation of something else. Except, we don’t know what that something else is, and I doubt they do either. These are the same people who poop on police cars, and yet we seem okay with them being the architects of a new world.
Wow! The #BlackLivesMatter organization has a new website where they are listing all sorts of policy change suggestions. I am going to attempt to offer an analysis of each of their policy suggestions, which they have broken down into 10 different categories. I apologize in advance, as this is going to be lengthy, really lengthy.
As a career cop, I was interested to see what they had to bring to the table so I took a look. Sadly, it appears they are only ready to step up to the kids table though. It is difficult to offer a serious analysis of their policy suggestions when one of the first paragraphs the page visitor encounters is this:
“A decades-long focus on policing minor crimes and activities – a practice called Broken Windows policing – has led to the criminalization and over-policing of communities of color and excessive force in otherwise harmless situations. Police killed at least 287 people last year who were involved in minor offenses and harmless activities like sleeping in parks, possessing drugs, looking ‘suspicious’ or having a mental health crisis.”
If that is the attitude they have, examining police policies with them is going to be like discussing physics with a developmentally delayed 5 year old with ADHD. If they can’t figure out that “Broken Windows” has been around for over 30 years, not 10, and they are suggesting that the cops just roll up on people sleeping in the park or looking “suspicious” and shoot them, it is going to be impossible to have a serious discussion.
With that said, where to start? Well, I guess I can go with my positive comments first. At least they, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement have tried to offer some suggestions instead of just chanting, complaining and burning down another city?
I think that is it. Uh, yup, that’s it, at least for now. If there are areas where I agree in each section, I will specifically note those.
Now on to the part that where I differ, and my examination of each of their 10 categories.
1. End Broken Windows Policing Before even clicking on that topic, I know I am going to disagree with it. The Broken Windows policing model has historically worked very well when it was employed. While it is no longer the primary policing model used by hardly any agency anywhere, it is a component of the more politically correct, more socially acceptable Community Policing model currently in favor all across the US.
For those unfamiliar with Broken Windows policing, the theory (which has been proven correct) is that when a neighborhood begins encountering an increase in minor crimes, such as vandalisms (ie: broken windows), petty thefts, littering, etcetera, and if left unaddressed by law enforcement, those minor crimes are followed by an increase in more serious crimes, like burglaries, robberies and homicides.
Now with that out of the way, their “Policy Solutions” in this area boil down to law enforcement ignoring “minor” offenses, to stop “profiling” (not racial profiling, profiling altogether) and to “Establish Alternative Approaches to Mental Health Crises.”
Area of Agreement: Of the three subsections, on a cursory level, I can agree with the last suggestion. I do agree that something needs to be done about the mental health crisis issues that are being dumped onto law enforcement, but that is where my agreement ends. Their suggestions are both fiscally and logistically unreasonable. Their suggestion demonstrates just how little BLM grasps the realities of how emergency services, to include law enforcement, fire and EMS, all work.
Their suggestion to ignore minor crimes is totally self-serving. The minor criminal behavior they list is what is often found in ghetto neighborhoods: people hanging out on street corners, in front of businesses, drinking alcohol, smoking weed and listening to loud music. That behavior is common to street gangs who want to demonstrate that the corner/street/neighborhood is their territory. It is extremely damaging to the entire neighborhood, not to mention what it does to the businesses they are hanging out in front of.
Let me see if I can channel their logic for just a moment: I like to drive fast, always have, and so do many others. Some people who were speeding have been callously murdered by the cops for nothing more than speeding*. Because I like to engage in that sort of minor illegal activity, I think the cops should stop enforcing speed limits. They are “arbitrary laws that really don’t hurt anyone” anyway.
(* I am using the same “logic” that suggests people are killed by cops for sleeping in a park or stealing a cigar.)
I’m not going to spend much time on this part, because suggesting that cops stop profiling is the same idiotic logic that has the TSA patting down 90 year old ladies and 3 year old children as they board airplanes. Like it or not, profiling works. It is a natural process in the human brain. We all do it every single day. To suggest that cops be preventing from doing it is completely asinine.
2. Community Oversight
“Police usually investigate and decide what, if any, consequences their fellow officers should face in cases of police misconduct. Under this system, less than 1 in every 12 complaints of police misconduct nationwide results in some kind of disciplinary action against the officer(s) responsible. Communities need an urgent way to ensure police officers are held accountable for police violence.”
“Establish an all-civilian oversight structure with discipline power that includes a Police Commission and Civilian Complaints Office with the following powers”
Everything I quoted above is completely ridiculous. They are demanding a group of people with no subject matter knowledge or expertise be the group solely responsible for judging whether or not actions taken by someone in that field were reasonable. And they base that demand on the misconception that cops cover for dirty cops. I have written extensively on this topic in the past, so in response to this, I will just say their perception is not remotely accurate. If you want to know why, you can read this.
“Remove barriers to reporting police misconduct. For all stops by a police officer, require officers to give civilians their name, badge number, reason for the stop and a card with instructions for filing a complaint to the civilian oversight structure.”
There are no barriers. Every agency in the US accepts complaints from the public. Demanding that we hand out a card for every contact with the information they are demanding is silly, would take up valuable law enforcement time, would prolong every single law enforcement contact/detention and would cost millions of dollars. Call me crazy, but this seems like a really dumb idea.
3. Limit Use Of Force
You know, because there are no limits right now. We can just use as much force as we want, whenever we want…
How do you have a rational discussion with someone who remotely suggests that there are no limitations on the amount of force cops can use?
Honestly, I really do not know how to approach this, because other than once again suggesting that cops stop doing cop work (“End traffic-related police killings and dangerous high-speed police chases”), everything they demand already exists.
Let me examine just one of their bullet points here:
“ – use minimum force to apprehend a suspect, with specific guidelines for the types of force and tools authorized for a given level of resistance”
The law already provides that officers can only use that level of force which is necessary to overcome the amount of resistance they meet. In fact case law, as ruled on by the Supreme Court in Graham v. Connor, is pretty darn specific in that matter. But hey, if they acknowledge that there already are limitations on the use of force, then that destroys most of their argument…
As for the specific guidelines for what use of force tools to employ and when, every agency in the US has a use of force policy which discusses those specifics. Sadly there are actually some agencies that still use those old “use of force ladders” or “use of force continuums,” which are notorious for getting lots of cops hurt over the years. When someone in an office mandates specific steps that need to be followed on the street, where situations are volatile and unpredictable, they lock officers into following specific those steps before moving to the next, or face punishment. Use of force policies based on the “use of force paradigm” allow officers to choose the proper level of force out of the gate, without having to use lower, inappropriate levels of force before moving to the appropriate level.
As an example, a use of force ladder would mandate that an officer try the lowest level of force (mere presence, followed by verbal commands) first, before moving up the ladder to physical force. If I am confronting an armed subject, call me crazy, but my first level of force is going to be switching to guns.
Area of Agreement: They definitely have a point, one I’m sure every cop out there will agree with too, that officers guilty of use of force violations that are significant enough that they would result in firing, who are actually fired or who resign to avoid being fired, should be prevented from ever working in law enforcement again. I wholeheartedly agree! Bad cops, or even good cops who screw up big time, which in reality make up a fraction of a fraction of a percent of law enforcement, make everything worse for the rest of us.
4. Independent Investigations and Prosecutions “Local prosecutors rely on local police departments to gather the evidence and testimony they need to successfully prosecute criminals. This makes it hard for them to investigate and prosecute the same police officers in cases of police violence. These cases should not rely on the police to investigate themselves and should not be prosecuted by someone who has an incentive to protect the police officers involved.”
So, the people complaining about the cops are demanding the creation of yet another branch of law enforcement? I’m totally confused.
Logistically speaking, fiscally speaking, logically speaking, suggesting a new state agency that investigates “all cases where police kill or seriously injure civilians” fails to pass any sort of reality check.
For argument sake, I will use a small state as an example, say Maryland. Say the Baltimore PD shoots a suspect in a case, at the end of a pursuit on a busy street in a busy neighborhood. BLM is suggesting that this new state agency is going to respond and handle the entire investigation of that shooting, which not only includes processing of all physical evidence (all CSI stuff), interviewing all witnesses and officers involved, reviewing of the original call for service, any and all video, etc. That takes a significant amount of time and manpower.
Now, imagine that across town, another officer arrests a person and during that scuffle, the person gets face planted into the ground and suffers a broken nose and maybe a fractured orbital socket. Now that same state run agency has to respond to the second scene.
Then say somewhere in Cambridge, MD, a cop arrests a person and that person put up a fight, and got their arm broken while resisting. Now that state agency has to respond to there and handle that investigation.
And that is using a tiny little state as an example. Imagine a densely populated state like New York, or a geographically large state like California, or Texas, and you begin to see how utterly unreasonable this suggestion becomes.
5. Community Representation Can I just call them racists right now?
“While white men represent less than one third of the U.S. population, they comprise about two thirds of U.S. police officers. The police should reflect and be responsive to the cultural, racial and gender diversity of the communities they are supposed to serve.”
We’ve tried racial quotas in the past. We had a thing called “affirmative action” here in the US for decades. Hell, most agencies are still doing their best to hire as many non-white, non-males as they can. There are no hiring policies, by any agency in the US, that prevent the hiring of cops based on gender or ethnicity. If there were, you can bet your butt that agency would be on the losing end of a huge lawsuit.
You want better “community representation” by your local law enforcement agency?
APPLY FOR A JOB!
It really is just that simple.
Suggesting that law enforcement agencies do anything special to recruit or hire “minority” applicants is not only racist (showing preference to one person over another based on nothing more than ethnicity), but it results in disastrous consequences. Anyone familiar with what happened with LAPD’s Rampart Division?
6. Body Cams / Film the Police “While they are not a cure-all, body cameras and cell phone video have illuminated cases of police violence and have shown to be important tools for holding officers accountable. Every case where a police officer has been charged with a crime for killing a civilian this year has relied on video evidence showing the officer’s actions.”
Area of Agreement: Absolutely, 100%, Amen, Hallelujah!!!!!
While BLM seems to indicate cops do not want cameras, I would and have argued that the vast majority of us actually do want them. What we do not want is some mouthy jackass with his cellphone camera interfering with us as we do our job. You want to record, that is perfectly fine, but do it from a reasonable distance and do not get involved.
As for body cameras, Hell Yes! Just like in-car cameras, they have actually proven, repeatedly, that the cops are actually justified, and not lying about events, as compared to “committing police brutality” in the realm of 1000:1. Cameras save far more cops butts than they have ever hurt, especially when the entire incident is viewed, just not some carefully edited snippet that both BLM and the media like to show.
Yes! Absolutely Yes! Give us cameras, please!!!!!
7. Training “The current training regime for police officers fails to effectively teach them how to interact with our communities in a way that protects and preserves life. For example, police recruits spend 58 hours learning how to shoot firearms and only 8 hours learning how to de-escalate situations. An intensive training regime is needed to help police officers learn the behaviors and skills to interact appropriately with communities.”
Sorry, but all I am hearing in every single one of their bullet points here is “the cops need to be nice and understanding and caring and cuddly and fluffy.”
Cops go through a significant amount of firearms training because their ability to handle a weapon safely is a huge liability. Many academy recruits have never held a gun before. Not many of those same recruits have never spoken to a person of a different cultural view before. Most of us in life have had at least 18 years of “training” of how to interact with other human beings.
Furthermore, suggesting that we “Intentionally consider ‘unconscious’ or ‘implicit’ racial bias” is yet another load of progressive liberal hogwash. This is just more of the “white privilege” that they have been trying to stuff down our throats.
Perhaps, in order to solve these problems, perhaps they could consider training the public that the best way to not become a victim of “police brutality” is comply with officers commands if and when they are contacted by the cops?
Call me crazy, but as a kid who drove too fast and hung out with some really stupid friends, I encountered the cops far more often than the average kid my age. Oddly enough, I never was the victim of any form of “police brutality.” The best training they could receive would be to watch the following two videos (both videos are NSFW due to language).
8. End For-Profit Policing “Police should be working to keep people safe, not contributing to a system that profits from stopping, searching, ticketing, arresting and incarcerating people.”
What did I miss? Do we get bonuses for tickets? Did I miss out on that free toaster for my 100th arrest? Seriously, does anyone believe this stuff?
First, ticket quotas are already illegal. Agencies that fail to figure that out, end up on the losing end of very expensive lawsuits.
Second, law enforcement agencies neither set the levels of the fines nor do they benefit financially from the money collected from said fines. Suggesting that failure to appearing for traffic citations not incur fines or warrants is once again suggesting that 1) cops stop doing cop work and 2) suggests law breakers be ignored.
Area of Agreement: I do agree that in some states, civil forfeiture has taken a rather bizarre turn for the worse. I do think that civil forfeiture laws need to be reexamined and changes similar to what they suggest should be put in place. Seizing money or property should only be done if criminal charges are accompanying, period.
9. Demilitarization I hear lots and lots of dog whistles and “trigger words” here.
“The events in Ferguson have introduced the nation to the ways that local police departments can misuse military weaponry to intimidate and repress communities. Last year alone, militarized SWAT teams killed at least 38 people. The following policies limit police departments from obtaining or using these weapons on our streets.”
First, in order to demilitarize something, it has to have been militarized in the first place, and as I have written extensively on this topic, there is no such thing actually taking place. Suggesting that because 38 people were killed by SWAT teams last year is in no way, shape or form any sort of evidence of militarization, nor does it even indicate that any, let alone all, of those deaths were not justified.
What in fact has been going on in law enforcement is modernization, not militarization. Law enforcement is not using tanks, they are not running around in “full battle rattle,” we do not have machine guns, and we are not running around if fire teams. Armored cars are not new and have been employed by law enforcement as early as the 1920’s. An external, load bearing vest is not a plate carrier. A semi-auto AR-15 is not a “machine gun.” Nearly everything that goes into the “militarized cops” argument is just emotionally charged BS.
10. Fair Police Union Contracts Ah yes, “fairness”… The new rallying cry from the left. The whole “life has to be fair” argument that is so touted by the progressive socialists.
“Police unions have used their influence to establish unfair protections for police officers in their contracts with local, state and federal government and in statewide Law Enforcement Officers’ Bills of Rights. These provisions create one set of rules for police and another for civilians, and make it difficult for Police Chiefs or civilian oversight structures to punish police officers who are unfit to serve.”
Apparently, according to BLM, it is:
unfair that cops are given certain protections when they are forced to give testimony in a police investigation, you know because the average person cannot be forced to testify (that whole silly 5th Amendment thing), where as we can be…
unfair that the average citizen is prevented from “having the power to discipline, subpoena or interrogate police officers,” you know, because they currently have the right to do that with other average citizens…
unfair that cops can appeal their internal departmentally prescribed discipline with their employer, because the average citizen can appeal discipline at their job so some other outside ruling body, or something…
unfair that cops cannot be forced to take a lie detector test, just like the rest of the country can also not be forced to take one…
unfair that cops can have unsustained complaints against them removed from their personnel files…
unfair that cop’s personnel files are not routinely subject to freedom of information act requests (they can be subpoenaed in court, just not released to the public under a FOIA request)
unfair that an officer be paid while they are forced to be off the job while they are subject of an investigation into a shooting they were involved in (guilty until proven innocent now?)
Yeah, all of those things sound really “fair” to me…
Conclusion While there may have been a few (4) things that I could find common ground with in this laundry list of “policy suggestions,” most of the items they listed are based on their warped perception of reality, and all really boil down to the fact that they want cops to ignore illegal activity and that when someone gets hurt by the cops, it is all the cops fault no matter what.
Here are some policy suggestions I have for BLM which I can absolutely guarantee will solve 99.9% of their problems:
Obey the law.
If you fail to follow #1, and are contacted by the cops, obey their commands.
If you break the law and are caught, man up and acknowledge your mistakes.
If you think you can do this job better than us, please, PLEASE join the ranks and show us first hand.
Black Lives Matter social media accounts blew up again. They began screaming about the racist cops murdering another young black man. All the normal BS.
Are you freaking kidding me??? How does that image, an image depicting one person
